In his latest departure from standard Papal behavior and Catholic doctrine, Pope Francis gave a homily on Wednesday in Rome, saying atheists can be redeemed and emphasizing the importance of “doing good.”
In his sermon, he affirmed that everyone who does good can be redeemed through Jesus, despite their religious beliefs or lack thereof, according to The Huffington Post.
To make his point, Pope Francis told the story of a Catholic who asked a priest if atheists could be redeemed by Jesus. He answered, “Even the atheists. Everyone…We all have a duty to do good,” according to Vatican Radio.
In response to the statement “But I don’t believe. I’m an atheist,” in a hypothetical conversation, Pope Francis answered, “Just do good and we’ll find a meeting point,” according to Guardian.
He encouraged people of all religions to work and “do good” together.
By reaching out to atheists and other non-Catholics, he sets himself apart from his predecessor, Pope Benedict, who often gave the impression that even non-Catholic Christians were inferior to Catholics.
Pope Francis has made headlines since earlier in the year, when he was chosen as the leader of the world’s 1.2 million Catholics, because of his unconventional but refreshing behavior.